Sewing machine



2 Sheets-Sheet l Q, INVENTOR. CZ/Mf/VCZ' a SM/77! C. C. SMITH SEWING MACHINE June 22, 1943.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 8, 1941 w 3 mm WW WWWW Nu u Wm mm. @N & MW .mm /\M% 9w & MN & I: N a MN Paiented June 22, 1943 SEWING MACHINE Clarence C. Smith, Chicago, 11]., assignor to Union Special Machine Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application March 8, 1941, Serial N0. 382,295

12 Claims.

This invention relates to sewing machines and is directed more particularly to feed-ofi-the-arm sewing machines. It has been developed especially in relation to machines of this sort which are of the type disclosed in the application of N. V. Christensen, Ser. No. 306,826, filed November 30, 1939, but it will be understood it may be applied, also, to machines of other types.

An object of the invention has been to provide improved means or conditions of lubrication for certain gears employed in transmitting power between two angularly disposed shafts. Toward this end a separate enclosure or housing has been provided for these gears, thereby enabling the employment of a heavier lubricant, such as grease or the like, required for effective lubrication of the meshing teeth. At the same time other asso ciated driving connections are lubricated effectively by means of a thinner lubricant capable of being readily distributed over the various loadtransmitting and bearing surfaces. Effective lubrication of all of the bearing and load-transmitting surfaces is of utmost importance in machines of the character specified due to the high speeds of operation to which these machines are subjected.

A further object of the invention has been to so arrange the operative devices and the driving connections therefor, in a machine of the character set forth, that more room is made available for the operator around the work-supporting and sewing means without increasing the size of the machine as a whole. Moreover, this end is achieved in such a way that the angle between the two power-transmitting shafts, which are preferably connected by bevel gears, is reduced, thereby increasing the efiiciency of power transmission through the bevel gears.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear from a detailed description of an illustrative form of the same which will disclosed in the aforementioned Christensen application. Primarily the present invention resides in a re-arrangement and modification of certain portions of the frame structure and hous ing and certain driving connections in a machine such as illustrated in said prior application, without, however, modifying its general mode of operation.

The machine frame comprises a base member ID which may be carried by a suitable sewing table, not shown. Secured to the base member H], by screws or other appropriate means, is a vertically disposed, hollow standard II. This standard may be of substantially the same form and construction as that illustrated in the pending Christensen application above mentioned. Projecting horizontally from the standard, adjacent its upper end, is a hollow arm I2 through which extends a shaft l3, suitably journaled in the arm and in bearings carried by the standard ll. Shaft l3 extends beyond the standard and carries at its outer end a combined pulley and hand-wheel [4 through which power may be supplied tothe machine in the usual way. An opening l5 through the base member l0 enables the passage of a suitable belt, which may serve to connect the pulley with an appropriate motor or other power source beneath the table top. The

now be given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. I is a top plan view of a sewing machine embodying the invention, portions being broken away to disclose the interior construction of parts of the machine.

Fig. II is a detail, in horizontal section, of a portion of a work-support arm of the machine, parts being shown which are concealed in Fig. I, and 1 Fig. III is a vertical section through the machine along the .line III-III of Fig. I.

The illustrative machine is to be understood as embodying, in large part, the operating devices cavity l6 within the hollow standard is in open communication with a compartment I! in the base member formed between the walls l8 and I 9 thereof. At its bottom the compartment is preferably closed by a removable plate 20, secured by means of screws 2|, adapted to form an oil-tight reservoir capable of retaining a liquid lubricant 22. Plate 20 may, however, be removed whenever desired to clean out the reservoir and to facilitate inspection, repair and assembly of the parts within the compartment I1 and the hollow standard.

Within the standard there is secured to the shaft I3 a gear 23 adapted to mesh with an idler or transmitting gear 24 which is rotatably mounted on a fixed shaft 25 carried in suitable openings in the standard. Gear 24 in turn meshes with a gear 26 secured to a shaft 21 journaled in suitable bearings 28 and 29 provided in the walls lfland IQ of the base member. A removable screw-threaded plug 28a. may 7 be provided in the end of bearing 28 to seal the same. At the outer end of the shaft 21, beyond the wall l9 and outside of the liquid lubricant retaining compartment I1, there is secured a bevel gear 30 with which is adapted to mesh another bevel gear 3l secured to a shaft 32 jourexcept through the bearing 29 which is occupied by the shaft 21 and further sealed by the hub of the gear 30. This auxiliary chamber is adapted to retain a different type of lubricant, preferably a grease, which is best suited for the lubrication of the teeth of the bevel gears. An opening 35 at the top of the auxiliary chamber is normally closed by a removable plate 31, retained by suitable screws, while an opening 33 in the end of the chamber, in line with the shaft 21, may be similarly closed by a plate 39 also retained by suitable screws. These removable plates provide access to the interior of the chamber for all necessary purposes.

The work-support arm 34 may be formed as anintegral extension of the base member I0. At substantially right angles to the laterally extending branch 33 of this arm there may be provided a forwardly extending arm 40 along and off of which the work is fed by the operation of the machine. It will be understood that the previously described horizontal arm I 2 carries appropriate needle-operating mechanism and associated devices, including a needle bar 4| adapted to be driven from the shaft 21 in a well known manner, as disclosed in the aforementioned Christensen application.

Within the work-support arm 34 suitable devices are provided for feeding the work in coordinated relation to the operation of the needles and there is also included appropriate looper mechanism, including one or more loopers. The details of the stitch-forming and work-feeding mechanisms form no part of the present invention and, therefore, only a very general disclosure of these mechanisms is made herein. For further details, reference should be had to the above-mentioned Christensen application. Suffice it to say that the feed mechanism employed is of the four-motion type and includes a feed bar 42 which carries at its forward end an appropriate feed dog of which only the downwardly depending shank 42a is shown. The feed bar may be operated by a feed lift eccentric 43 and a feed stroke eccentric 44 secured to the shaft 32. The looper, or loopers, not shown, may be operated in a known manner by means of a driving eccentric 45 and a needle avoid eccentric 46. At its extreme left end (Fig. I) the shaft 32 may be provided with a take-up cam 41 of the type disclosed in said Christensen application,

In extending the shafts 21 and 32, in the manner explained, and placing the bevel gears 30 and 3| in an auxiliary chamber 35 beyond the wall l9, i. e., outside of a vertical projection of the hollow standard II, the various advantages previously set forth are obtained. The provision of separate compartments in the base member for housing the bevel gears, on the one hand, and the gear 26, on the other hand, enables the employment of the most effective lubrication for both sets of gearing and the various bearings associated therewith. Thus, a liquid lubricant 22, adapted to be readily dispersed and distributed throughout the interior of the hollow standard ll, upon the rotation of the gear 26, may be provided in the compartment 11. This lubricant, in the operation of the machine, will be thrown to the top of the hollow standard and will find its way, through passages 48, 49 and 50, into the bearings of the shafts l3 and 21, in addition to being carried or thrown between the load-transmitting surfaces of the gear teeth.

It has been found, however, in .prior constructions in which bevel gears, similar to gears 30 and 3|, have been provided in the same compartment with the spur gearing, that the lubrication has not been satisfactory. The relatively light, liquid type of lubricant will not provide adequate lubrication for the teeth of the bevel gears operating at the required high speeds so that the operation becomes more noisy than necessary and has a tendency to develop excessive heat. In accordance with the present invention, on the other hand, it is possible to supply the auxiliary chamber] 35 with a grease type of lubricant, which is most effective for the bevel gears and enables them to operate. very smoothly and quietly at the highest speeds.

The improved frame construction and driving arrangement, moreover, provides additionalspace for the right arm of the operator, who must present the work in correct relation to the stitching and feeding mechanisms adjacent the outer end of the branch 40 of the work-support arm. This additional space or clearance arises from the fact that in the improved construction the axis of the shaft 21 is spaced a greater distance from the anchored end of the branch 33 of the work-support arm, which end may be considered as falling along the line 5| (Fig. I). Due to this increased distance, it is possible to provide a smaller angle a (Fig. I) between-the axes of the shafts 21 and 32, than is provided in prior machines. In prior constructions it has been necessary to make this angle 36 in order to allow adequate clearance between the arm of the operator and the corner 52 of the hollow standard. Even with such an angle many operators have found it dimcult to avoid rubbing of the elbow against the corner of the vertical standard.- With the improved construction, on the other hand, the angle between the shafts 21 and 32 may be reduced to less than 30, 1. e., about 28, and still allow a somewhat greater clearance for the arm of the operator, adjacent the corner 52, than is provided in prior constructions. This advantage is derived, moreover, without changing the size or form of the work support arm 34, except the angle of inclination of its anchorage end 5|. Accordingly, the same distance is provided between the axis of the lateral branch 33 and the point at which the operator holds the work in proper relation to the stitching and feeding mechanisms, as in prior machines. This is accomplished by compensating or offsetting the extra distance between the axis of the shaft 21 and the line 5| by a decrease in the angle a between the axes of the shafts 21 and 32. Furthermore, this decrease in the angle a improves the efficiency of operation of the bevel gears 30 and 3| since, due to the smaller angle of the teeth, there is less relative slippage between the meshing teeth and hence the friction expressions employed herein have been used as terms of description and not of limitation.

What I claim is:

1. In a sewing machine a base member, a driving shaft and a driven shaft having bearings in said base member, the axes of said shafts intersecting at an acute angle, stitch-forming means operated by said driven shaft, means including gearing for driving the driving shaft, bevel gears for connecting said driving and driven shafts, and separate lubricant-retaining compartments in saidbase member for said gearing and said bevel gears, respectively.

2. In a sewing machine a base member, a pair of shafts having bearings in said base member and having their axes disposed at an acute angle in relation to each other, work feeding 'means operated by one of said shafts, gearing connecting said shafts for rotation in unison, connections from a power source for driving one of said shafts, means partly in said base member for enclosing said connections and adapted to retain a lubricant around the same, and means in said base member forming a separate enclosure adapted to retain a diiferent type of lubricant around said gearing.

3. In a sewing machine a base member, a pair of shafts having bearings in said base member and having their axes disposed at an acute angle in relation to each other, work feeding means operated by one of said shafts, gearing connecting said shafts for rotation in unison, connections from a power source for driving one of said shafts, means partly in said base member for enclosing said connections and adapted to retain a lubricant around the same, said connections being constructed and arranged to distribute the lubricant in said housing to the bearing and load-transmitting surfaces therein, and means forming in said base member a separate enclosure adapted to retain a different type of lubricant around said gearing.

4. In a sewing machine a base member, a pair of shafts having bearings in said base member and having their axes disposed at an acute angle in relation to each other, work feeding means operated by one of said shafts, gearing connecting said shafts for rotation in unison, connections from a power source for driving one of said shafts, means partly in said base member for enclosing said connections and adapted to retain a lu bricant around the same, and means in said base member forming a separate enclosure as an integral extension of a portion of said enclosing means adapted to retain a different type of lubricant around said gearing.

5. In a sewing machine a base member and a hollow standard forming a lubricant-retaining housing, a power receiving shaft adjacent the top of said standard, a counter-shaftin said base member parallel with said power receiving shaft, means for connecting said shafts to rotate in unison and for distributing the lubricant to the bearing and load-transmitting surfaces in said base member and standard, a third shaft in the plane of said counter-shaft and disposed at an acute angle thereto, means connecting said countershaft and said third shaft for rotation in unison, and means providing a lubricant-retaining chamber around said last-mentioned means out of communication with the interior of said hollow standard.

6. In a sewing machine a base member having a plurality ofseparate lubricant-retaining compartments, a hollow standard above one of said compartments and communicating therewith, a pair of spaced parallelshafts in said standard and said one of said compartmentsymeans for connecting said shafts to rotate in unison and for distributing lubricant to the bearing and load-transmitting surfaces of said shafts and said means, a third shaft extending into another of said compartments at an'angle to the plane of said parallel shafts, and means in said lastmentioned compartment for connecting said third shaft with one of said parallel shafts for rotation in unison therewit 7. In a sewing machine a base member and a hollow standard forming a lubricant-retaining housing, a power receiving shaft adjacent the top of said standard. a needle bar operated by said shaft, a counter-shaft in said base member parallel with said power receiving shaft, means for connecting said shafts to rotate in unison and for distributing the lubricant to the bearing and load-transmitting surfaces in said base member and standard, a third shaft in the plane of said counter-shaft and disposed at an acute angle thereto, means connecting said counter-shaft and said third shaft for rotation in unison, work feeding devices actuated by said third shaft, and means providing a lubricant-retalning'chamber around said last-mentioned means out of communication with the interior of said hollow standard.

8. In a sewing machine a base member, a hollow standard extending vertically from a portion of said base member, an arm extending horizontally from said standard adjacent the top thereof. a needle operating shaft in said arm, driving means for said shaft, a substantiall L-shaped work-support arm having the end of one branch connected with said base member and having the end of its other branch disposed beneath the free end of said horizontally extending arm, work feeding means in said other branch of said worksupport arm, a shaft mounted in said one branch of said work-support arm for driving said work feeding means, and connections for operating said shaft in said work-support arm from said needle operating shaft including a counter-shaft and a driving gear thereon substantially in vertical alinement with said driving means.

9. In a sewing machine a base member, a hollow standard extending vertically from a portion of said base member, an arm extending horizontally from said standard adjacent the top thereof, a needle operating shaft in said arm, driving means for said shaft, a substantially L-shaped work-support arm having the end of one branch connected with said base member and having the end of its other branch disposed beneath the free end of said horizontally extending arm, work feeding means in said other branch of said worksupport arm, a shaft mounted in said one branch of said work-support arm for driving said work feeding means, and connections for operating said shaft in said work-support arm from said needle operating shaft including a driven gear on said shaft in said work-support arm and a driving gear meshing with said driven gear, said gears being beyond the vertical projection of said hollow standard.

10. In a sewing machine a base member, a hollow standard extending vertically from a portion of said base member, an arm extending horizontally from said standard adjacent the top thereof. a needle operating shaft in said arm, driving means forsaid shaft, a substantially L-shaped work-support arm having the end of one branch connected with said base member and having the end of its other branch disposed beneath the free end of said horizontally extending arm, work feeding means in said other branch of said worksupport arm, a shaft mounted in said one branch of said work-support arm for driving said work feeding means, and connections for operating said shaft in said work support arm from said needle operating shaft including a counter-shaft parallel with said needle operating shaft and disposed at an acute angle to said shaft in said work-support arm in the horizontal plane thereof, said counter-shaft and shaft in said work-v support arm being connected by gears beyond the vertical projection of said hollow standard.

11. In a sewing machine a base member, a hol low standard extending vertically from a portion of said base member, an arm extending horizontally from said standard adjacent the top thereof, a needle operating shaft in said arm, driving means for said shaft, a substantially L-shaped work-support arm having the end of one branch connected with said base member and having the end of its other branch disposed beneath the free end of said horizontally extending arm, work feeding means in said other branch of said worksupport arm, a shaft mounted in said one branch of said work-support arm for driving said work feeding means, and connections fnr nmraflnnr yond the vertical projection of said hollow stand:

ard.

12. In a sewing machine a hollow vertical standard, a horizontally extending arm projecting from said standard adjacent its upper end, a

' power receiving shaft extending longitudinally of said arm, a base member having a compartment in alinement with said standard, a counter-shaft journaled in said base member and extending beyond said compartment, a work-support arm having branches at substantially a right angle to each other, one of said branches having its end connected with said base member and the other of said branches extending to a point beneath said horizontally extending arm, a shaft extending longitudinally of said one of said branches, and gearing on said last-mentioned shaft and said counter-shaft to connect said shafts for rotation in unison, said gearing being outside of said compartment.

CLARENCE C. SMITH.

- CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,522,597. June 22, 1915.

CLARENCE C SMITH Itis hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5, first column, line 59, claim 5, after means strike out "forming" and insert the same after "member" in line I40; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in tne Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 5rd day of August, A. D. 1915.

Henry Van Arsdale,

(Seal) -Acting Conmissioner of Patents. 

